laquer checking with a blade

stickyfiddle

I believe MJT use a razorblade for a lot of ther checking (largely because they offered me options of extent and "style", which they couldn't do if it was a cold/hot method).

I wouldn't want to do it myself but it can certainly look very good when done right.

WezV

TBH the reason I started doing any relic work was for repairs on old instruments. I'm happy to go more extreme on stuff I have built myself.


@stickyfiddle MJT have a checking gallery on there website and there are some which are almost pinstriped and some which are very short and random directions.  Totally different styles.  I would guess they use any of the 3 methods described above depending on the final result needed.  

stickyfiddle

WezV said:

TBH the reason I started doing any relic work was for repairs on old instruments. I'm happy to go more extreme on stuff I have built myself.


@stickyfiddle MJT have a checking gallery on there website and there are some which are almost pinstriped and some which are very short and random directions.  Totally different styles.  I would guess they use any of the 3 methods described above depending on the final result needed.  

Ah, you may be right! Mine certainly looks quite different to the genuine cold-weather checking on the Cabronita you did for me, which is very tight and small scale. 

WezV

Yeah, the Cabronita is different again.  I assume its because it was semi hollow and the wood was thinner - more likely to move quickly with the temperature extremes.